The Science of Suicides: The Art of Survival

The Science of Suicides: The Art of Survival

Living without hope, without anything to look forward to, without the zeal and enthusiasm for anything in life; – a good enough reason for someone to think why he should get up today and trudge it. What difference is it going to make anyways in the world that I try to belong to? Suicidal thoughts indeed!! Where do these seeds come from? Why do they breed to captivate the mind completely and make one take the drastic step? Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide has stirred the whole country and fans beyond. If that dark moment was over; could he still be alive? Could we regulate the brain’s biochemistry to skip that move? More importantly, as a society how can we become more empathetic towards people struggling with depression? How can we gauge beyond their surface level smiles? How can we train our brains to be more compassionate and express love and care to those, who may need it the most?

Generally, depression is the underlying cause of suicide. Unlike many other mental health issues, depression was not considered even a health condition until when a few people boldly shared their stories about it. We cannot differentiate much between feeling low or sad and depression. Scientifically, sadness is a healthy emotion to respond to unhappy events in our lives. This emotion motivates us to make our lives happier. But depression on the other hand works the opposite. We can say how some sad movie or music can help a person emote and let out his negativity to move on. But for a depressed person, it may work like fuel to fire. It makes them stay there to loom more into the doom. Depression is not an emotion but a mental illness.

One of biggest reason associated with depression is isolation. Usually extroverts tend to be more vocal in sharing how they feel. But introverts which make up to 74% of the depressed population (Journal of Psychiatric Research) withdraw from others and keep their feelings to themselves. Choosing self-isolation for a little ‘me time’- that quiet time is good to relieve stress, or for some thinking and creativity. It is different from forced isolation. Solitude because of inability to get along with circumstances and other people drifts into demotivation and unproductivity; which in turn makes it all the more depressing. Selective introversion is apparently healthier.

General symptoms of depression are feeling sad and fatigued (almost always), being irritable, reckless, lack of focus, wanting to be left alone, just keep pondering over negativity, self-loathing, inability to find happiness or joys in anything. There is hopelessness, despair, void, losing meaning of life and the sadness starts interfering with the routine; Kind of making one sink in this black hole.

As per WHO, depression and suicide is a major concern of the 21st century and about 800,000 people die out of depression annually, especially impacting the youngsters. Surprisingly, while most women are diagnosed with depression and attempt to suicides; male suicide rate is much higher all over the world. Because males have better access and they are stronger with the intent to complete the act (BBC.com). Men tend to bottle up their feelings and do not want to share their vulnerability. There may be several factors such as unemployment, debts, relationship issues, illness, losing someone, teenage trauma or loneliness etc. to cause depression.

Some people are too depressed and continue to live with suicidal thoughts without having the energy to act on it- a nightmare for anyone, especially their family caregivers. But the other type could be just shocking which is widely being acknowledged as ‘smiling depression’. Here a person will show a happy face, react positively to appreciation or any good news.  He would be successful on the exterior; but will be battling a storm inside. He is the most vulnerable one to end it all in no time! But symptoms of such people can be observed in their lethargy, isolation, oversleeping and being overly sensitive to any criticism.

While there are many psychological reasons associated with depression, a little is known about the neurobiology of it. Scientific reports show that usually suicidal brains have reduced activity of serotonin (a chemical that lifts mood). Also there is an irregular distribution of GABA (Gamma aminobutyric acid) – an important neurotransmitter to put brakes on a neuron activity. Something that can make a person STOP! A study suggests 300% higher levels of quinolinic acid (a compound generated due to inflammation) in the CNS of suicide attempters (Science Direct). It is similar to glutamate that excites nerve cells. Anti-glutamate may be considered as a medication (LiveScience.com). But our brain and mental illnesses are so complex that it is quite difficult to pin down just a few chemicals as there are millions of reactions happening inside of us to make us feel, what we feel.

Scientists attribute to genetic predisposition as well. The hippocampus of depressed women in a study was 9% to 13% smaller than the normal (The Journal of Neuroscience). Further, the neurons do not regenerate in prolonged stress conditions in this area. In another study artists are 25% more likely to carry the genes of mental illness. According to David Foster Wallace who himself committed suicide; mild depression can lead to creation of art through introspection, but deep depression can be addictive for a person to socially isolate himself (Psychology Today). Contrary to art therapies for depressed people; often creative geniuses are associated with madness. Artists are 4 times more likely to commit suicide. According to Dennis Pulambo (Screenwriter turned licensed psychotherapist), artists have more access to their feelings compared to people in other professions.

Feeling hollow inside is mostly associated with failures in life or being lonely. But very well to do and highly successful people with spouses and kids or being in romantic relationships do it too. Mostly due to the unlimited pressure of not tripping down from their position and rather keep pushing for more. Sometimes there is also probably the saturation of having it all, seen it all. There seems nothing more to seek- which is adverse to the basic nature of human mindset.

Mostly, there may not be a single cause for committing suicide, but multiple factors leading to it. One person dies every 40 seconds in the world (WHO) and it can be prevented. Sometimes it is just an impulsive move rather than a planned approach. Can we do something about saving people from themselves?

Usually if a person has low mood or sadness for over 2 weeks, they must talk about it with a therapist. Anti-depressants are also recommended. But a close monitoring by family caregivers is recommended as they come with side effects, such as increasing the symptoms as the course begins. Artists have also reported their minds being numb when they were on these medications. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral therapy) is effective in many cases especially people getting impacted with the environment, or the seasons, or handling grief.

Taking life too seriously is a risk of educated and intellectual people who are in the spot of becoming, being competitive proving to themselves and others. Uneducated, not so well to do people who live without fear of losing it, living the mundane have happier lives. Self-compassion is one of the keys to overcome constant self-bullying or being bullied by others or the society. Lifting oneself up with small steps at a time to overcome negative feelings is a process to come out of the darkness. Meditation, exercise they are all important. But most important is getting out there, talking to someone- sharing the feelings.

The biggest of all could be keeping busy distracting from self- actually moving with a bigger purpose. A purpose beyond SELF- to help someone; who may need care; who might be old, disabled, or lonely; who might be poor, hungry, weak, uneducated. Getting distracted from own self would help a lot to bounce back from those depressing feelings. By empowering someone else, one may feel more empowered and worthy within. Sushant Singh also had some amazing wishes to live on with a purpose of giving- to help women learn self-defense, to help the blind with assistive technologies, help kids learn about space- sending them to ISRO/NASA. Wish if he would have shared sooner with some like-minded and started on some of it already. It is such a loss of humanity where we lose people with such golden hearts and get awe-struck with those flashing gold!

In our thousands of connections, we must have at least a few good friends, some people to talk to and share.  As a society we can create a positive atmosphere to be generally appreciative and being kind. Let’s not be too harsh in passing our judgements; else people will not reach out and talk. Making people comfortable in expressing their vulnerability and making them feel that they are ‘not alone’ could help them save.

Dr. Anju Dave Vaish
Founder, Creative Director
TRY for GOOD | CoffeebeanMedia

Dr. Anju is a Branding and Sustainability professional with special focus into Bio Science & Technology sector. A certified Happiness Coach from UC Berkley, USA, she also focuses into inner sustainability for individuals and corporates.

Published in the Biovoice

The Science of Suicides: The Art of Survival

Thomas Kolster – The Goodvertising Guy

As humans, we all communicate and get greatly influenced by what we see and hear. This power of communications was tapped by Advertisers and Marketers to acquire mind space since the 19th century. The brand competition and pushing the products soon changed the buying needs into “excessive consumerism” ruled by sentiments such as “we are what we buy.Thomas Kolster pondered on the POWER of communication and using that as a force to do rather “good”-it was the birth of his book “Goodvertising”. Anju, a communications strategist, with a makeshift in her career on similar lines explores synergies as she interviews Thomas.

 Anju: Father of Goodvertising. Wow! It sounds something so right, may be it should have been there right from the beginning. So how and when did you come up with the idea of “Goodvertising?”

Thomas: My journey started when I was really frustrated with my career in advertising. I didn’t feel that I was adding any more value. I just felt that our industry is moving by just keep pushing some shit. On the other hand, I felt that there is something important that we need to address. The big moment was in one of those Copenhagen summits for the climate change, where world leaders from the Government would come and have a say. But to a great extent, I felt that nothing would happen if people like us do not realize it and take some action for it.

I knew the power of brand savvy people and so I knew that “It’s us who can make the shift”. I wrote the book mostly to kind of rally cry for the advertising industry that we should go in a different direction and showcase examples that could inspire people.

The thing that I never thought about that the whole sustainability community and the marketers will receive the book with a great enthusiasm and appreciation. They found it to be an interesting thought and direction. It took a lot of research. It’s a small piece of work right now and we are still pushing ahead for this.

Anju: India is at an all-time high- economy, technology, development and also not to miss the rising consumerism which is more like aping the West. I feel the developing countries need not go the whole way of making same mistakes as the West did, to thrive. What do you say?

Thomas: To be fair, I make this point in one of the last pages in the book. It was never my mission to write the book for about half a billion very privileged people living in my part of the world who are not so environment-friendly in so many aspects. We buy so much…we have way too much stuff! The real challenge for me is to make the 8 billion people in the world understand that the way I grew up is wrong.

We buy so much…we have way too much stuff! The real challenge for me is to make the 8 billion people in the world understand that the way I grew up is wrong.

This is not the state of development that should be aspired for. It is a tremendous pressure on the developing countries. There is a chance of leapfrogging that bad behavior done in my part of the world! Let’s not try to get there the same way. There got to be a different way. It requires bravery from the Governments and Administration for planning in a more sustainable way.

Also for the power of brands- maybe we can pick up a different conversation rather than keep pushing! The things need not be in the way they are in US or different part of the world. It doesn’t take much to get into the minds for that kind of development. It should be about getting right from the beginning.

I spent a lot of time in Africa and there is so much potential in that continent. It is mind blowing. We can get the energy and infrastructure right. But unfortunately, there are a lot of things stand in the way to realize that.

Anju: There is a new competition about Green Branding which is propelled by the goodvertisers like you. Is it a reverse push to the brands to really take responsibility for their actions that affect people and planet?

Thomas: This kind of happens at multiple levels. I was in Detroit and I was supposed to be on the same stage as the other powerful brands. Ford could not be there as they had to make a big announcement that day; that they are no longer a car company but a mobility company.  They got rid of their recent CEO and hired a new guy for the mobility division saying that the future is not about the different type of cars, but the mindsets who would answer the need for future transportation and accessibility.

At a brand level, we live in a time where the impact can be measured. From consumers to investors, as to how they look at the company. If you as a brand want to fix what I call as a broken relationship with consumers, the only way to fix is build the trust. Consumers demand great actions. This is where you have competition and it’s quite good. How as a brand can you showcase and do something tangible for me? You get to see different dimensions like, H&M’s conscious collection which is a good strategy of saying we got the good stuff. Fashion brands Honest Buy, they are 100% transparent, materials are sustainably sourced, and workers are treated fairly. Some of that stuff is becoming much more transparent.

It is the competitive edge. Before, it was all about selling… pushing the product. For once, we can compare an iPhone with a Samsung phone or the other one,  and I can say that this brand is using the recyclable material. And that is all thanks to social media and internet being there to make this power shift.  Now, brands do not hold the power. We have the power.

Now, brands do not hold the power. We have the power. Every time we see a brand that we don’t like, we should complain.

Every time we see a brand that we don’t like, we should complain. A Chinese passenger when dragged off the plane because United Airlines was overbooked. His video went viral and its stock fell by 3%, which is massive value. It is the time that we voice out and brands got to start acting.

Anju: Sometimes it is very hard to make people understand the concepts of sustainability and build campaigns around that. It prompts me for something like Robinhood advertising, where you gain from the big businesses as they say, but make your own good campaigns for the environment and the community. Sometimes the power is also with the small business owners or solopreneurs which can pitch for the Green branding?

Thomas: Earlier, brands used to be like the “one- talking to many” and they dominated the media space. What’s good about the current scenario is that they got to talk about what “people care about” and why sustainability is so important because it involves everything that we care about- our lives, our children, safety on streets etc.  So the campaigns created are peer to peer i.e. “many to many” based on social media.

Creating more brand awareness today is selling more based on the good that you offer. Smaller brands have an amazing opportunity to do things right. If you are the bigger brands, it will need a lot to change the direction. While smaller companies can be more sustainable and futuristic based on their planning of start point. For example, if you want to create a cosmetic company tomorrow. You can create a 100% sustainable company with no toxins or plastics. And then you give big guys a competition in an altogether new way.

In an Indian market where you have seen a big progression coming in.  Your understanding of we are here for heritage and value, you can make a big difference by gaining the edge over the big giants.

Anju: Would you say that Europe is better in terms of Green marketing in many ways compared to the US. Also after the recent move in the Paris Agreement from the US, the gap kind of widens. Your thoughts?

Thomas: There are definitely the value gaps in many ways; the place where I grew up is one of the wealthiest states. It is quite a noble notion that we cannot make a sustainable future if we just do it for the few. Sustainability got to be the future for all. In Denmark, we had free welfare, education, healthcare for everybody. In my school one kid would come from all different backgrounds- a kid’s mother would be drug addict and father would have killed him, but we would still get the same education. It really depends on social structure.

In the US, though they say it is a land of opportunities, it is a much-divided society. It is appalling that14% people are below the poverty line, while it is such a rich country. The gap between the US and Europe is that in Europe, we have “Collective Consciousness” in terms of responsibility. It is an important factor in gaining sustainability. For me, social and economic inequalities need to be solved. If we don’t solve that we can’t succeed. Because the top people will always be on the top and poor people will stay at the bottom.

Anju: Globally, what observations do you make for creating a positive message and impact socially?  The Sustainable Campaigns for the environment or your community.

Thomas: The positive side of consumerism is that I see in more and more markets today is that sustainable lifestyle is becoming a cool thing slowly and maturely. When I travel, I just take pictures of bicycles. When I grew up it used to be Cadillacs or other luxury cars as a cool thing and be aspirational. When I went to Thailand, I just saw a bicycle on the wall of a café to show that it is something “aspirational.” I think it is a positive thing! The younger generation is more aware, even if they aspire to have more, it would be in a sustainable way. There are positive trends across the globe’.

The challenge with the sustainability or the environmental campaigns is that it often becomes about “Less”.  Framing it that way in mindsets does not make it “aspirational” I always like to frame it around “better”- fulfilling lives, better life without chemicals, toxins, safe neighborhood etc.

The problem is that from an advertiser’s point of view, it is much easier to create campaigns for a social issue than environmental campaigns. Such as gender inequality, something for example, “share the load” campaign from India. Social issues are easy because you connect very well with human beings. But environmental campaigns are so difficult. Because it’s not easy to put a face on the environment. For example, using a Polar bear in a campaign does make anyone relate. We need to put different messaging. The real scenarios- a poor boy in Syria or like people fight over water in In India that is the truth of climate change – extreme flooding, drought. Marketers need to be better.

Anju: Many times people misunderstand Sustainability as something meant only for Environment.  Some organizations may just do some kind of Charity and still go on advertising without understanding the holistic meaning. May be due to not having the right agency or lack of identifying a direct connect.

Thomas: Charity is not bad as it’s the first approach to cause marketing. As per new Indian regulation, every company has to give 2% to charitable causes or CSR. Endorsing something is a good start to payback. At the same time, it is very urgent that businesses realize that their long-term livelihood, not just as a brand depends on the complete ecosystem.

I worked on a project where they were not able to operate if they did not have water. They had to get water in a sustainable way. How can we a create a circle of mindsets? I call it “kicking the puppy.”  When the brands realize if they are doing wrong they are kicking the puppy and they would be more sensitive like using 10% less recycled material in the packaging, but then they are still kicking the puppy. So the mindset around goes that we are still doing badly, we are still kicking the puppy. This is really going around what we call as “Net positive.”  Forward looking Businesses today actually not only minimize but have a positive impact on the planet. They talk about re-growing the forests that we cut down. For me, that is a fascinating discussion.

The minimization is interesting. Look at the sachets in India. The amount of packaging that goes there. It is disgusting that you buy a small thing with the same amount of packaging. The company can get rid of that with a more win-win proposition saving energy and offering value to customers. They need to develop the inherent business value in a more circular way.

Anju: Your favorite impactful campaigns which are truly also the Green brands? Which are the Sustainable campaigns that you reckon from India, or the Campaigns from around the world?

Thomas: Yes, for me it is more about a global perspective. In my book, I had shared with my research team that I want campaigns from all over the world. There are a couple of Indian ones that I like. #Sharetheload, men should also take part in doing laundry. Lifebuoy’s health awakening campaign #HelpAChildReach5 soap handwashing for rural India is quite good.  There is also the Volvo painted the bicycles white for the night riding. But the fact is that the marketers have to do more real stuff than the gimmicks. Because gimmicks don’t really work very well. It should not be just about the moving campaign, but it got to be a continuous push. Also for the reason that a campaign may not resolve the whole thing and it may take decades for the resolution.

There needs to be an authentic purpose behind doing it. Because they have a higher purpose in Indian society. The story of change- people look up to you for giving that value.

 Anju: With the role as a Goodvertiser, you are an Influencing leader. It may be gratifying, but what about the viability in terms of financials?

Thomas: I have always had two simple business principals- “Be Nice and Have fun”. If you do that you will do alright. If you do something that puts a smile on your face every day, money is going to follow inevitably. If you do it the other way round, you may be exhausted with no authenticity.

The responsibility of being a critique or leader is something that I do not take very lightly. I think what is important for me is not always to be right, but always criticize what’s being done today. Because more people need to stand up and do that for the current model. For years, I think I was too shy and may be not aware of my role. It’s important that people realize that no matter wherever you are- you can make an Impact. I feel that people like you and I have a massive opportunity.

There was a frustrated Muslim student with the remarks that Muslim women receive for using the hijabs. People assume that they are oppressed or ask questions that they may be uncomfortable looking different. The answer to all that was that she created The Hijarbie – the Barbie doll line with designs of Hijabs

Nobody is born with the purpose. It is something that you develop in due course to create an impact.  You do the stuff that you are doing.We don’t do it for money. There is also a big personal loss- we do not get quality time with friends and family. But the price is worth paying for!

 

UNLOCK- Your Consumers’ Creative Potential

Unlock Your Consumers Creative Potential

The Great Lockdown– such an unprecedented event that happened just as we started moving forward with our 2020 goals. There has been so much of speculation for COVID 19 and its consequences, lockdown and its repercussions; but there also has been one thing that kept us all rolling. The human mindset! With constraints come new creative ideas. Our imagination, creativity and innovation take us far away from stagnation, depression or pessimism. According to Nielson India, there was a 44% rise in social media usage during the lockdown. There was also a 72% increase in ad content by influencers (thedrum.com). Some brands did tap on this talent outburst organizing a showcase for their customers getting their attention, or even loyalty. As we move past lockdown the question is; should we just let this bubbling creativity disappear, or nurture it? Also, with salary slashes and lay-offs, people will delay their purchases or disconnect from buying loads. As brand strategists, how do we continue to have a connection with our consumers and keep them motivated?

The lockdown made all of us Pause… Ponder… and find our Passion.  What a bizarre way of Mother Earth to push all of us back into our dens and make us realize that we have sufficient material comforts to meet our physiological needs. But we are missing on something basic- our connection with ourselves and the Nature. Running in the race of climbing up the ladder, acquiring more, selling more, or aspiring mostly in terms of materialistic gains, suddenly COVID 19 came to put brakes on all of it. And the whole humanity was stirred to its core. First time ever in the global history- there was nothing left to be done except for reflecting back from within!

The Himalayan peaks started showing from many cities around, twittering birds were heard and the herds of deer came in the urban areas. Perhaps it was a sincere greeting from Nature with her deepest expression- a request to humans to learn to co-exist! At the same time, humans were beautifully engaged with their creative expressions- cooking to crafts, music to art, sports to exercise, prose to poetry, make-up to drama, photos to videos, learning to loving, and sharing to caring. They bought bare essentials- and they were Happy! Without the brands pushing happiness to them! They candidly shared their no filter, no grooming, and no make-up looks doing their own messy chores (with pride). They were thrilled with their own ideas and content- be it a #sareechallenge or the #25pushups. They thrived on exploring and stretching their own limits with the given limitations. In the lockdown they unlocked their own potential!  And they celebrated themselves.

The question that gapes now is whether as marketers and brand strategists will we imbibe this message from Nature and Humanity? And look at it as a huge opportunity for the next big change? Or will we continue back with our conventional ways- by pushing products, doing more sales and focus only on profitability? With the looming pressure of gaps created from the lockdown, the worries around economy and recession; it definitely may not be the top priority. But in due course could we strive to help the new species of humans, who have finally discovered themselves beyond capitalism, stay that way? Is that the new learning curve for all of us? For many of us these questions may put as at the crossroads. But there are some clever brands who have already taken a plunge in that direction- where people and planet, both are nurtured.

Vote for my artwork– I came across at least three requests from my friends’ network-a kid, a housewife and an artist. Even if I do not remember their artwork well, I remember the organizer was HDFC that invited people to express their creativity during the lockdown. Volini built its concept inspired by people doing home chores or taking care of elderly while staying at home. Greenpanel campaigned for home based exercises for keeping fit and asked people to share ‘Work from home desk’ photos to win amazon vouchers. Asian Paints also tapped absorbing all this people creativity in their commercial. In their shoot for ‘Har Ghar’ they had all non-actors. But Vodafone apparently took the boldest step ahead by remotely shooting the real people from all ages for their concept ‘Friendship Uninterrupted.’ It was amazing! Is this something that we can really look forward to more and more?! It sort of automates twin purpose – people engagement and virality of content. Besides, we may not need even the hefty budgets which anyways turn out to be cosmetic expenses- first to be chopped during the times of recession.

According to Thomas Kolster, self-actualization is the next best thing for brands to look at (Source: Book- The Hero Trap). As a matter of fact he brings attention of organizations to people’s urge i.e. to fulfill themselves- through sports, art, work or whatever helps them ‘become.’ This approach is observed in ICICI campaign which calls for talent from customers and rewards them with a FitCoach membership. There are now many big league brands empowering their customers with their choice of creativity and their own goals. And many start-ups are evolving around the lifestyle that people want, helping them achieve their goals. Coaching, motivation, expert advice is something that people plugin into. Thanks to the big and thick data analytics which helps dig deeper into people choices and behavior. The economy is now all about ‘style over stuff’ and style is no longer that outward flashiness of possessions sharpening the divide in the society. But a reflection of inner journey and the outward experience; that accomplishes oneself as a distinct individual while nurturing other people and the planet. These trends are all towards a circular, shared and sufficiency economy. People connect more with the icons like Milind Soman, who re-invented not just themselves but empowered many more around; especially those who are often dismissed by the society.

Motivation and giving the DIY wings is nothing new for the brands. From US to India I have observed many engaging experiences that start from choosing own toppings, to buying from Marketplace with a straight order to cook, the DIY meal kits, or just walking into a studio to paint. Experiential consumption is anyways on the rise and good for both- people and planet. Thomas (popularly known as Mr. Goodvertising) also advocates in his new book for facilitating the transformational journey even for the societal and environmental purposes. This can take the load off from brands to be the superheroes and getting trapped with the unreliability as every brand seems to be in the race of purpose. In the age of disruptive media, marketing mix finds tremendous scope in influencers. From #MeToo movement to #Climateaction by Greta Thunberg, or from Sonu Sood for #MigrantWorkers crisis to George Floyd #BlackLivesMatter and #WorldAgainstRacism; the power of expression and storytelling is with the common individuals and the masses. As brand engineers, we may need to just notice that transfer of power, steer along and cheer the influencers.

Dr. Anju Dave Vaish
Founder, Creative Director
CoffeebeanMedia | TRY for GOOD

Dr. Anju is a Branding and Sustainability professional with special focus into Bio Science & Technology sector. An invited speaker in Sustainable Brands (USA) and other global forums for marketing and purpose she is acknowledged for her incisive content- Aping West, East may go South; and Global brands hold enormous do good potential.

Humanity

From surviving to defying in the face of adversity, from being wanderers to develop these wondrous societies,… from explorations to inventions, from discoveries to resolving mysteries, from being in moments to building monuments, from living on earth to leapfrogging to the moon, from being a creation to creating something new, from being a speck to become the most powerful species;
…from making mistakes to acknowledging it with humility!..
from diversity to solidarity… Humanity stands together today against the pandemic. Hope we overcome it soon #GodSaveLives #Humanity #endcorona #buildResilience #covidResilience

Hope you Heal soon Spain

For the #Travellovers and #Globalcitizens, #foodartculture lovers: the world is not the same again! Hope we regain normalcy soon! Sharing what I am feeling through some words and my illustrations.

From Salsa to Soccer, from Columbus to cava, from Picasso to flamenco, from Gaudi to tapas. Our hearts go to you Spain. Hope you heal soon. #HealSoonSpain

From surviving to defying in the face of adversity, from wanderers to wondrous societies, from explorations to inventions, from being in moments to building monuments, from living on earth to leapfrogging to the moon, from being a creation to creating something new, from being a speck to become the most powerful species…from making mistakes to acknowledging it with humility, from diversity to solidarity; Humanity stands together today against the pandemic. Hope we overcome it soon #GodSaveLives #savehumanity

Hope you heal soon New York

For the #Travellovers and #Globalcitizens, #foodartculture lovers: the world is not the same again! Hope we regain normalcy soon! Sharing what I am feeling through some words and my illustrations.

From the city that never sleeps to the city that is shut! We feel deep pain!! From ellis island to empire state, from brooklyn to broadway, from 42nd street to manhattan, from highline to hudson, you are the big apple of our eyes New York. Our hearts bleed for you. Hope you heal soon. #HealSoonNewYork

From surviving to defying in the face of adversity, from wanderers to wondrous societies, from explorations to inventions, from being in moments to building monuments, from living on earth to leapfrogging to the moon, from being a creation to creating something new, from being a speck to become the most powerful species…from making mistakes to acknowledging it with humility, from diversity to solidarity; Humanity stands together today against the pandemic. Hope we overcome it soon #GodSaveLives #savehumanity

Hope you heal soon Italy

For the #Travellovers and #Globalcitizens, #foodartculture lovers: the world is not the same again! Hope we regain normalcy soon! Sharing what I am feeling through some words and my illustrations.

For our everlasting love of Pizza, and for rekindling romance through gondolas and the calli and canals of unique and scenic Venice. From roma tomatoes to canolis, from Florence to Tuscany you live in our hearts Italy. Hope you heal soon. #HealSoonItaly

From surviving to defying in the face of adversity, from wanderers to wondrous societies, from explorations to inventions, from being in moments to building monuments, from living on earth to leapfrogging to the moon, from being a creation to creating something new, from being a speck to become the most powerful species…from making mistakes to acknowledging it with humility, from diversity to solidarity; Humanity stands together today against the pandemic. Hope we overcome it soon #GodSaveLives #savehumanity